کد مقاله | کد نشریه | سال انتشار | مقاله انگلیسی | نسخه تمام متن |
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3950933 | 1600328 | 2014 | 5 صفحه PDF | دانلود رایگان |
ObjectiveTo determine whether modifying a plastic speculum with a flexible sheath would improve visualization and decrease pain during vaginal examination.MethodsWe conducted a prospective randomized controlled trial of 136 women undergoing vaginal speculum examination at an outpatient obstetrics and gynecology faculty practice. Patients underwent examination via a standardized technique with either a medium-sized plastic speculum (standard) or an identical speculum modified with a flexible polypropylene sheath (sheathed). Investigators recorded the percentage of the cervix visualized. After speculum insertion, patients recorded pain using a 10-cm visual analog scale.ResultsThere were no substantial demographic differences between the standard (n = 67) and the sheathed (n = 68) groups. Investigators were able to visualize a significantly greater percentage of the cervix using the sheathed speculum compared with the standard speculum (95.1% ± 8.2% vs 78.2% ± 18.4%; P < 0.001), representing a 21.6% improvement in visualization, and were able to visualize the entire cervix in 42 (61.8%) patients when using the sheathed speculum compared with 11 (16.4%) patients undergoing standard speculum examination (P < 0.001). Patients undergoing examination with the sheathed speculum reported a nonsignificant decrease in pain scores (1.0 vs 1.2; P = 0.087).ConclusionA sheathed speculum significantly improves visualization of the cervix, without compromising patient comfort.ClinicalTrials.gov:NCT01670630
Journal: International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics - Volume 125, Issue 2, May 2014, Pages 116–120